In a new published editorial in SelectScience, based on an interview with the principal scientist of Capitainer, Donald Chace, the reader can discover how Capitainer^® DBS cards with qDBS technology enable easy self-sampling with precision and accuracy.

qDBS technology address precision and accuracy limitations seen in traditional DBS cards.  “The absence of volumetric control in conventional DBS sampling results in imprecision and inaccuracies during analysis. In newborn screening, traditional DBS cards exhibit a high imprecision rate of 15–20%. This means they are not suitable for most clinical diagnostic tests which demand precise quantitative results to ensure accurate and reliable assessments” says Donald Chace.

The potential applications for Capitainer® cards stretch beyond newborn screening. This technology is also valuable for monitoring babies after discharge, especially those with conditions such as phenylketonuria (PKU), a disorder of amino acid metabolism, diabetes, or rare diseases. Accurate and precise monitoring is crucial in these cases to guarantee that patients receive the appropriate treatment.

Furthermore, a recent Norwegian study highlighted the applicability of Capitainer DBS cards in the routine monitoring of kidney transplant patients. The research demonstrated equivalent sampling success and analytical quality for samples collected by healthcare staff in a hospital setting and by patients themselves at home. Integrating self-sampling into aftercare procedures can improve the convenience and comfort for kidney transplant patients while alleviating the strain on healthcare services.

Read the full editorial article here and learn more about how qDBS technology provides new extended possibilities for the use of dried blood spots in clinical diagnostics.